"I literally went from small and simple, to this massive piece and then all my work flew from there."
She defied the norm and found success on her own. And Sarah Lu's just getting started. Her time this year will be divided between tattooing in the UK, and teaching at an orphanage in rural Vietnam. She first visited 10 years ago and made a promise to herself she'd do something for the kids there.
"Everyone has been trying to talk me out of it because there are so many reasons against me doing it, including my safety. But, of course, I'm going anyway."